Alba Argerich from the University of Missouri-Columbia will make a presentation titled "Responses of stream functional processes to urbanization and legacy mining effects."

Freshwater ecosystems are a source of drinking water and provide numerous ecosystem services through processes that move and transform matter and energy connecting terrestrial, atmospheric, and marine systems. Despite their importance, freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Freshwater species have declined 83% since 1970, the leading cause being human impacts in watersheds. Among them is urbanization. Despite constituting a small fraction of the land use, only representing 3% of the US landscape, urban areas have a disproportionate impact on water chemistry, hydrology, and aquatic habitat. In some areas like Joplin, Missouri, in addition to the pressure of urbanization, streams are impacted by the legacy effects of mining activities. Here I will present results on how these two stressors interact to modulate stream metabolism and nutrient cycling, both essential processes for the provision of water quality and healthy ecosystems.